Buzz
The phenomenon of mass disappearances ranks among the most captivating unsolved mysteries worldwide. It's perplexing when individuals vanish without a trace, but it becomes even more astonishing when entire groups disappear simultaneously. While some cases suggest abduction as a plausible explanation, the logistics of abducting multiple people seem nearly impossible. In other instances, no plausible theory can explain the fate of these individuals.
10. The Fort Worth Three
On December 23, 1974, three young girls—17-year-old Mary Rachel Trlica, 14-year-old Lisa Renee Wilson, and 9-year-old Julie Ann Moseley, collectively known as the Fort Worth Three—headed to the Seminary South Shopping Center in Fort Worth, Texas, for Christmas shopping. They never made it back home. Their locked car was found in the mall's parking lot at 6:00 PM, with Christmas gifts inside, suggesting they had completed their shopping and returned to the vehicle. Yet, their whereabouts remain a mystery.
The following day, Rachel’s family got a letter that appeared to be from her. In it, she mentioned that the trio had gone to Houston for a week and would return soon. Yet, none of them came back, raising questions about the letter's authenticity. Over time, eyewitnesses have shared conflicting stories—some say they saw the girls being taken by unknown men, while others recall spotting them in a mall security truck late that night. None of these accounts have been confirmed, leaving their disappearance unresolved.
9. The Lyon Sisters
On March 25, 1975, Sheila and Katherine Lyon, aged 12 and 10, visited Wheaton Plaza Shopping Center in Wheaton, Maryland. After failing to return home, their parents alerted the police, sparking one of the region’s most extensive investigations. About ten days later, the Lyons received a ransom call demanding $10,000 for their daughters. Despite leaving the money in a courthouse restroom, no one ever collected it.
The prime suspect in the Lyon sisters’ case is a man seen at the mall with a microphone and tape recorder, reportedly speaking to the girls. Two weeks later, a witness claimed to have seen Sheila and Katherine tied up in a station wagon driven by someone matching the man’s description. Unfortunately, these leads went nowhere, leaving the man’s identity and the sisters’ fate a mystery.
8. The Springfield Three
The “Springfield Three” include 47-year-old Sherrill Levitt, her 19-year-old daughter Suzanne Streeter, and Suzanne’s 18-year-old friend Stacy McCall. They disappeared without a trace from Sherrill’s Springfield, Missouri home on June 7, 1992. Their cars and personal items remained at the house, the TV was still on, and the only clue of disturbance was a shattered porch light.
Several leads have emerged in this case. One witness reported seeing a frightened woman resembling Sherrill driving a van that day, overhearing an unseen man say, “Don’t do anything stupid.” Robert Craig Cox, a convicted robber, has implied involvement, suggesting the victims’ bodies would never be recovered, with rumors pointing to a parking garage as their burial site. Gerald Carnahan, a convicted murderer, has also been scrutinized as a potential suspect. Despite these leads, no solid evidence ties either man to the crime, and the Springfield Three remain missing.
7. The Indiana Dunes Women
On July 2, 1966, three young women—21-year-old Ann Miller, 19-year-old Patricia Blough, and 19-year-old Renee Bruhl—visited Indiana Dunes State Park for a day out. They disappeared without a trace, leaving their possessions on the beach. Witnesses reported seeing the trio enter the lake and converse with an unidentified man in a white boat before boarding it. The women, the man, and the boat were never seen again.
Investigators delved into the women’s lives and found that Miller was three months pregnant at the time of her disappearance. Blough might also have been pregnant. One theory suggests the man on the boat was Ralph Largo Jr., whose family was linked to illegal abortions. Additionally, all three women kept horses at Tri Color Stables, operated by the brother of infamous crime figure Silas Jayne. While these connections hint at possible motives, none have been proven, and the case remains unsolved.
6. The Jamison Family
On October 8, 2009, Bobby Jamison, his wife Sherilynn, and their 6-year-old daughter Madyson disappeared from a remote dirt road in Oklahoma. They had reportedly gone to inspect a piece of land. Their locked truck was later discovered abandoned, containing their possessions, their nearly starved dog, and an envelope with $32,000 hidden under the seat. Despite the chilly weather, the family left their coats behind, adding to the mystery.
Before vanishing, the Jamisons had been struggling financially and exhibiting strange behavior, including claims of ghosts haunting their home. The absence of evidence suggesting foul play has led to theories that they may have disappeared voluntarily or planned a murder-suicide. However, no conclusive proof supports these ideas, leaving their disappearance one of the most perplexing cases on record.
5. The McStay Family
Joseph and Summer McStay, along with their sons Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3, vanished on February 4, 2010, in one of the most puzzling cases in recent history. Surveillance footage captured their vehicle leaving their Fallbrook, California home, and it was later found abandoned near the Mexican border. Authorities reviewed border surveillance and spotted a family resembling the McStays, but the poor image quality made identification impossible.
Three years later, investigators began considering the theory that the McStays orchestrated their own disappearance. Despite this, their bank account, containing over $100,000, remained untouched. If the family in the surveillance footage was indeed them, their whereabouts during the four days after leaving home remain unknown. If they crossed into Mexico, their subsequent fate is equally unclear. Numerous theories have been proposed, but none provide a coherent explanation for this baffling case.
4. The Crew of the Sarah Joe
On February 19, 1979, five men from Maui, Hawaii—Benjamin Kalama, Ralph Malaiakini, Scott Moorman, Patrick Woesner, and Peter Hanchett—set out on a fishing trip aboard the “Sarah Joe.” After a severe storm struck, the boat and its crew vanished. While it seemed likely they were lost at sea, the case took a strange turn in 1988 when debris from the “Sarah Joe” was discovered on an island more than 2000 miles away.
On the same island, an unmarked grave was found containing the remains of Scott Moorman, buried beneath rocks. The other four men were never located. If they buried Moorman, what became of them? If not, who did? Adding to the mystery, the island had been searched years earlier, with no sign of the boat or the grave. The fate of the missing men and the circumstances of Moorman’s burial remain unresolved.
3. The Sodder Children
Losing one child is devastating, but losing five in a single night is unimaginable. This tragedy struck George and Jenny Sodder on Christmas Eve, 1945. The couple had ten children, but after their Fayetteville, West Virginia home was destroyed by fire, five of them—Betty, Jennie, Louis, Martha, and Maurice—vanished without a trace. While the fire seemed like the cause, no remains of the children were ever discovered, making it unlikely the fire alone could explain their disappearance.
Although some remains were found in the ashes, they showed no fire damage, leading to suspicions they were planted. Theories suggest the fire was a cover for abduction, as the phone line was cut and the family’s ladder was found 75 feet away. Over the years, there were multiple sightings of the children, and in 1968, the family received a photo of a man believed to be an adult Louis Sodder. Sadly, George and Jenny passed away without ever learning the truth.
2. The Fandel Children
On September 4, 1978, Margaret Fandel dined out in Sterling, Alaska with her two children, 13-year-old Scott and 8-year-old Amy. She later dropped them off at their secluded cabin in the woods and left again. Margaret returned between 2 and 3 AM to find food on the counter and a pot of boiling water on the stove. Assuming the children were at a neighbor’s, she went to bed, only to realize the next day that Scott and Amy were missing.
Initially, suspicion fell on Amy’s father, Roger Fandel, and a girlfriend of his allegedly demanded $5000 to disclose what happened. Over time, authorities concluded he was not involved, but no other suspects have been identified. The children may have been taken by an unknown intruder, but no evidence supports this or any other theory. Nearly 35 years later, Scott and Amy Fandel remain missing without a trace.
1. Lauria Bible & Ashley Freeman
On December 30, 1999, in rural Oklahoma, 16-year-old Lauria Bible stayed overnight at her best friend Ashley Freeman’s home. That night, the Freeman family’s trailer was set on fire. Ashley’s mother, Kathy, was discovered shot dead, while Ashley, Lauria, and Ashley’s father, Danny, were missing. When Lauria’s family returned to the scene the next day to conduct some investigating, they found Danny’s body, also shot dead, which authorities had somehow overlooked.
Various rumors surround the murders. Initially, suspicion fell on the girls, suggesting they might have committed the crime and fled. Other theories implicated locals or tied Danny Freeman’s death to a drug debt. Convicted serial killers Tommy Lee Sells and Jeremy Jones both confessed to abducting and killing the girls. Jones even claimed to have dumped their bodies in a mine shaft, but searches yielded nothing. Despite these leads, the fate of Lauria and Ashley remains a mystery.
